Passenger aircraft that operate over long distances during the night typically include interior lighting arrangements that provide substantially reduced ambient light so that passengers can sleep comfortably, but which is still bright enough to enable those passengers who choose not to sleep to move about the cabin safely. For example, currently, some models of the Boeing 777 passenger jet incorporate ceiling panels that incorporate light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are arranged to blink in random patterns against a dark background, which in an ambient light condition, gives a relaxing, soporific appearance of a starry nighttime sky, and hence, is referred to as a “starry sky” ceiling lighting arrangement.
These existing solutions for a starry skies ceiling feature (e.g., a starry skies ceiling panel) employ individual LEDs for each of the many stars in the panel. The manufacture of each of these panels is performed manually by drilling holes in the panel for the LEDs, inserting the LEDs into the drilled holes in the panel, and manually routing the wires that are attached to the LEDs along the back of the panel. This procedure is very labor intensive. As such, these designs require long lead times in manufacturing, and may cause repetitive motion injuries to the LED installers of these panels.
Control of these wired panels is performed by a star light controller (SLC), which is a one channel controller. To achieve multiple different channel effects on the panel (e.g., to produce various different cabin mood lighting), several SLCs are required on each panel. Each SLC draws approximately 3500 Watts (W) and weighs about one or two pounds. Since each panel requires multiple SLCs, these panels consume a lot of power and are very heavy.
These existing designs utilize LEDs flush to the surface of the panel to create the visible “stars”. These designs do not employ any additional optics or lenses other than the LEDs themselves, so the distribution of the light illuminated from each of the LEDs is poor (e.g., each of the LEDs illuminates a very narrow beam of light) and, as such, the “stars” do not appear very realistic. In addition, the LEDs on these panels are controlled manually by the flight attendant during flight, which requires time and energy from the flight attendant to manage the functionality of the LEDs throughout the different phases of flight.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for in improved starry skies ceiling feature that is simpler to manufacture, low power, lightweight, appears realistic, and easier to control.